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J. A. BURLEIGH.

NEEDLE SWITCH MECHANISM PCR CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINES. No. 566,295, Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

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NEEDLE SWITCH MBCIIANISM PCC CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINES. No. 566,295.

Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

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J. A. BURLBIGH. NEEDLE SWITCH MEGEANISM EOE GIEGULAE KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 566,295. Patented Aug. Z5, 1896.

ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 4.

J. A. BURLBIGH. NEEDLE SWITCE MECEAN'ISM ECE CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINES.

No. 566,295. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

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Nrrnn STATES ATENT rrrcn.

JOSEPH A. BURLEIGH, OF LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE PROVIDENCE KNITTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

NEEDLE SWITCH MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,295, dated August 25, 1896.

Application ined May 7,1896. serial No. 590,588. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. BURLEIGH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Laconia, in the county of Belknap, in the State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle Switch Mechanism for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to needle switch mechanism for retiring from action at once one-half, more or less, of the circular series of needles in a circular-knitting machine, preparatory to the knitting of a bulge or pocket in the fabric, and for restoring such needles to action when the knitting of a tubular fabric is to be resumed.

The invention is especially adapted to automatic knitting-machines for the continuous knitting of seamless stockings or socks, such as the machine shown and described in my Patent No. 537,802, dated April 16, 1895.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple switch mechanism which is accurate and reliable under high-speed knitting.

This invention is usually embodied in a circular-knitting machine for the knitting of stockings and socks, in which the knitting is performed by a circular series of needles, which move up and down in vertical grooves in the needle-cylinder under the action of the cams on the cam-cylinder which encircles the needle-cylinder, the knitting of the tubular portion of the work constituting the leg and foot being performed in continuous circular courses by all the needles under a continuous rotary motion of the cam-cylinder and the pouch-knitting for the formation of the heel and Jfoe being performed in arcshaped courses by a part of the needles under a reciprocatory motion of the cam-cylinderl/Vhen the'work has been completed in the knitting of a stocking to a point where the pouch-knitting begins for the formation of the heel or toe, a number of the needles, usually one-half of the circular series, is at once thrown into inoperative position out of reach of the knitting-cams and out of the path of the yarn, and at the same time the motion of the cam-cylinder is changed from a continuous rotary to a reciprocatory move ment. Then the knitting operation continues on the needles remaining in action, about onehalf of the circular series, and a needle at each end of the active series is thrown into inoperative position at alternate reciprocating strokes of the cam-cylinder, so that each successive knit course is shorter by one stitch than its preceding course, one stitch being dropped at one end of the course and the fabric being thus gradually tapered until the narrowest point of the pouch is reached, this being known as the narrowing operation. The cam-cylinder continues to reciprocate, and the needles which were thrown into inoperative position on alternate reciprocating strokes of the cam cylinder are likewise brought back into action and each successive knit course is longer by one or more stitches than its preceding course, one or more stitches being added at one end of the course and the fabric being thus gradually broadened until the heel or toe is completed, this operation being known as widening.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings represents in elevation the right-hand side of the body of a circular-knitting machine embodying this improvement, the legs, driving-shaft, yarn-stand, and mechanism connected therewith being omitted. Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of a portion of the machine, showing the cam-shaft carrying cams for actuating the various automatic mechanisms connected with the machine, including the cam for operatingthe needle switch mechanism herein described. Fig. Srepresents a side elevation of a portion of the cam-cylinder embodying this improved switch mechanism and of a portion of the bed-plate on which said cylinder moves. Eig. 4 represents a horizontal section of a fragment of the cyl inder and a plan View of the switch mechanism in connection therewith. Fig. 5 represents a radial section of a fragment of said cam-cylinder and the needle switch mechanism connected therewith. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of one of the short-stud needles. Fig. 7 represents a side elevation of one of the long-stud needles, sents a vertical transverse section on line 8 Fig. 8 repre? IOOM 8 of Fig. 2, looking toward the left and showing the means for raising and lowering the actuating-rod of the switch mechanism.

The same reference-numbers indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

The workin g parts of this machine are mounted in any suitable frame, such as that described in my patent before cited.

A knitting-head is mounted on a bed-plate 30, supported on the frame of the machine. This knitting-head may be of any suitable construction. As shown it is similar in its general features to that illustrated in my patent before referred to, and it comprisesa needle-cylinder, as 200, an annular sinker-bed 226, encircling the top of the needle-cylinder, a rotary cam-cylinder, as 240, adjusted on the needle -cylinder, and a rotary sinker -cam ring, as 400, over and encircling the sinkerbed.

The elements which are common to the drawings constituting a part of this specification and to my said patent have the same reference-numbers, and some of the parts so numbered in the drawings hereto attached are not referred to in this specification, as they do not constitute a part of the invention herein claimed, but they are described in the specification of said patent.

The needle-cylinder 200 has on its outer periphery the usual series of vertical grooves, in which the knitting-needles are disposed in a circular series in the usual manner, and in which said needles are adapted to reciprocate vertically.

About half the needles, as 2.30, more orless, have elongated studs 231, and are disposed in a semicircular series, and the other semicircular series is composed of needles, as 232, which are provided with shorter studs 233. A spiral-sprin g band rests in the circumferential groove in the needle-cylinder and serves to clamp all the needles in the vertical grooves of the cylinder and permit them to move up and down therein. A circular series of radially-sliding sinkers 235 move in radial slots in the sinker-bed and play at their inner ends between-the needles, coperating therewith in the knitting operation.

The rotary cam-cylinder 240 is provided on its inner face, at its lower end,with a rib 245, which extends about three-fourths of the distance around the cylinder and serves as a shoulder or track for the studs of the needles when the latter are in lower position, the ends of said rib being beveled. Knittingcams, such as those shown in my previous patent cited, are disposed between the ends of the rib, or other suitable knitting-cams are employed,whereby the needles are raised and lowered in an ordinary manner, and during such raising and lowering they coperate with a corresponding number of sinkers and form loops which constitute the knitted fabric.

The switch mechanism for switching onehalf, more or less, of the needles into inoperative position and back into operative position again comprises a switch-finger 260, curved to correspond with the curve of the cam-cylinder and fixed to the inner end of a pivot-shaft 261, journaled in a bracket 262, secured to the outer face of the cam-cylinder. The inner end of this pivot has a boss 263, which turns in a hole in the cam-cylinder, at the junction of two sectoral slots 264 and 265 therein. The slot 264 is preferably considerably larger than the slot 265, and the upper side of each is in line with the lower side of the other. The switch-finger 260 is of a length to extend from the arc-shaped end of one slot to the arc-shaped end of the other, and as its pivot is turned the body of the finger swings in the larger slot and its shank in the opposite direction in the smaller slot, there being no chance for endwise displacement. Its inner edge projects beyond the inner face of the cam-cylinder sufficiently to engage the long stud needles, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 but the short-stud needles pass without contact therewith. A yoke 266 is fixed to the pivot-shaft 261 outside the bracket 262, the arms of the yoke being provided with adjustable screws 267 and 268 and the top thereof with flat stops 269 and 269. An arm 261" is hung loosely on the pivot-shaft and depends between the arms of the yoke, being provided with a pointed lower end 262', adapted to be engaged by a movable actuating-rod 460, which projects upward through the base-plate 30. This rod is moved at proper times, under the action of suitable mechanism for that purpose, into and out of the path of the arm 261. When the rod 460 projects into said path, the arm 261', during the rotation of the cam-cylinder, comes in contact with said rod and is thereby caused to swing to one side, carrying with it the yoke 266, whereby the pivot-shaft 261 is turned and the switch-finger 260 swung into either of its two posit-ions, as the case may be. As soon as the arm 261 passes the end of the rod 460, being hung loosely on the pivot, it falls into normal low position ready to engage said rod from the opposite direction when the latter is next projected into its path. The adjustable contacts or screws 267 and 26S regulate the length of the throw of the yoke. A plate-spring 263 is secured to the bracket 262, and its outer end rests in contact with the yoke, and as the latter is oscillated the spring engages one of the flat stops, 269 or 269', and operates to hold the yoke in adjusted position or prevent rebound thereof.

The means herein shown for lifting the rod 460 into the path of the arm 261 comprise a lever 465, pivoted at its front end on an inwardly-projecting stud 467 on the end 2O of the frame. This lever extends backward and downward and rests in normal position on a boss 468 or other suitable stop on the end frame 20, its lower rear end being normally in the path of the cams 463 and 464 on the cam-disk 461, disposed on the cam-shaft 350.

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.knit from the toe to the top of the leg.

The lever 465 is provided with a ledge 469, fiXed to its upper side about midway between its pivot and its lower end, and the rod 460 rests at its lower end on this ledge.

The operation is as follows: When the machine is provided with a pattern-chain like that shown in the drawings, the stocking is The pattern-chain is shown in the position which it assumes after completion of the heel and at the beginning of the knitting of the leg. The leg is knit from the ankle to the top in continuous circular courses, utilizing all the needles. Then the leg is finished and a toe of the next stocking is to be knit, the several changes necessary for the formation thereof are effected by a partial rotation of the camshaft 350, as described in said patent. These changes include the withdrawal into inoperative position of the long-stud series of needles 231. During the leg-knitting the cam-cylinder moves continuously in the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 1, and after the leg is iinished said partial rotation of the cam-shaft 350 brings the cam 463 on the cam-disk 461 under the lever 465, whereby said lever is raised and the rod 460 thrust upward against the tension of its spring 466 and its point projected into the path of the arm 261. As the pointed end 262' of the arm strikes the pin from the left, said end is arrested by the pin, and as the cylinder continues to move the pivot-shaft 261 is carried along with it and thereby the arm caused to swing on said pivotshaft toward the left. In so' swinging the arm comes in contact with the adjustable screw 267 and swings the yoke 266 from the position shown in Fig. l into the position shown in Fig. 3, the flat stop 269' passing out from under the spring 263' and the stop 269 passing under said spring. This movement of t-he yoke 266 turns the pivot-shaft 261, whereby the switch-finger 260 is swung downward into the position shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the arm 261 passes the pin 460, being loose on its pivot, it falls downward into contact with the pin 268, in which position its pointed end is ready to engage the pin 460 from the opposite direction when required. It has been found in practice, when the arm is rigidly connected to the other parts and a spring is relied on to bring the arm back into operation after being raised by the rod 460 or otherwise, that the friction of the parts sometimes counteracts the tension of the spring, and the arm fails to assume an operative position. This is avoided in the present construction, where the arm is so loose that it may fall by gravity into normal position. The switch-linger 260 being in the position shown in Fig. 3 and the cam-cylinder continuing its rotation, said finger engages the studs of the long-stud needles at the back of the machine, and as it comes around on the left half of its circuit it lifts all the semicircular series of such needles into inoperative position. After the arm 261 has been thus actuated by the rod 460 the cam 463 passes out from Linder the lever 465 and said lever drops and the spring 466 depresses the rod 460 out of the path of the arm 261. Then the motion of the cam-cylinder is changed from a continuous rotary to a reciprocating movement and the pouch for the toe is knit on the semicircular series of short-stud needles.

Vhen the toe-pouch has been completed, and the knitting of a tubular fabric to constitute the body of the foot is to be effected, the cam 464 on the cam-disk 461 comes under the lever 465 duringthe partial rotation of the cam-shaft 350, which takes place at that time. The lever 465 is then lifted and the rod 460 raised again into the path of the arm 261, and on the last backward stroke, in the the direction of the arrow 2, of the cam-cylinder in its reciprocating movements, the arm 261, then in the position shown in Fig. 3, comes in contact with the upper end of said rod from the right-hand side thereof and is shifted back into the position shown in Fig. l, whereby the switch-iinger 460 is swung up against the upper side of the slot 264, its point being then on a plane above the studs of the elevated needles 230. As soon as the arm is so actuated the cam 464 releases the lever 465 and the rod 466 is depressed out of the path of said arm. The cylinder reverses at the end of this backward stroke and resumes its con' tinuous rotary motion in the direction of arrow 1 in Fig. l, and on the irst stroke in this direction when the outer end of the switchnger 260 reaches the rear of the machine it engages the first of the elevated long-stud needles and passing forward around to the leftot` the machine it pulls down all of said needles into operative position. The continuous circular knitting is then continued, utilizing all the needles, until the point is reached where the heel is t0 be knit, and then the long-stud needles are again thrown out of operation, as before, and thrown back again after the heel is finished.

This improved switch mechanism may be embodied in any knitting-machine to which it is adapted.

I claim as my inventionl. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder, a pivot-shaft journaled therein, a switch-finger connected to the in ner end of the pivot-shaft, a yoke fixed on said pivot-shaft outside said cylinder, and an arm hung loosely on said pivot-shaft between the arms of said yoke and adapted for contact with either of said yoke-arms for oscillating said pivot-shaft.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder, a pivot-shaft journaled therein, a switch-nger iiXed to the inner end of said pivot-shaft, a yoke fixed on said pivotshaft outside said cam-cylinder, an arm hung loosely on said pivotshaft between the arms of said yoke and adapted for contact with either of said arms, for oscillating said shaft IOC IIO

to swing said switch-finger, and a spring for holding said pivot-shaft in either position into which it is swung by said loose arm.

3. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder, a pivot-shaft journaled therein, a switch-finger connected to the inner end of said pivot-shaft, a yoke iixed to said pivot-shaf t outside said cam-cylinder and provided with adjustable contact-studs, and an arm hung loosely on said pivot-shaft outside said cylinder between said contact-points.

4. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder, a pivot-shaft journaled therein, a switch-fin ger fixed to the inner end of said pivot-shaft, a yoke iixed to said pivotshaft outside said cam-cylinder and provided with adjustable contacts, an arm for engaging either of said contacts for oscillating said pivot-shaft toswing said switch-iin ger, and a sprin g stop device for holding said pivot-shaft in adjusted position.

5. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder provided with ltwo slots converging toward each other,and a j ournal-bearing between them, a pivot-shaft j ournaled in said journal-bearing, a switch-finger fixed to the inner end of said pivot-shaft partially within said slot and partially extending edgewise beyond the inner edge thereof, and means for oscillating said pivot-shaft.

6. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder provided with two slots converging toward each other,and a j ournal-bearing between them, a pivot-shaft j ournaled in said journal-bearing, a switch-finger iixed to the inner end of said pivot-shaft partially within said slot and partially extending edgewise beyond the inner edge thereof, means for oscillating said pivot-shaft, and means for regulating the throw thereof.

7. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder provided with a slot, a bracket secured to the outer face of said camcylinder and projected through said slot, a pivot-shaft journaled in said bracket and provided With a boss at its inner end, a switchfinger fixed to said boss and adapted to swing in said slot, said switch-iin ger projecting edge- Wise beyond the inner face of the said cylinder, and means for operating said pivot-shaft to swing said switch-iinger into position for throwing up and pulling down needles.

8. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder provided with a bracket attached to said cam-cylinder and provided with a journal-bearing, a pivot-shaft journaled in saidbracket and extending through the Wall of said cylinder, a switch-finger iixed to the inner end of said pivot-shaft, a yoke xed to the outer end of saidpivot-shaft, and provided with two stop-surfaces, a spring attached to said bracket and projecting into contact with said yoke, and means for oscillating said yoke whereby said spring engages either oi said stop-surfaces.

9. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder, provided with two sectoral slots converging toward each other, and a hole at the junction of said slots, the lower side of one of said slots being in line with the upper side of the other slot, a pivot-shaft journaled in a suitable support opposite said hole, a switch-finger iixed to the inner end of said pivot-shaft, and of a length extending from the arc-shaped end of one of said slots to the arc-shaped end of the other slot, and means for oscillating said pivot-shaft to swing said switch-iinger in said slots, said switchfinger projecting edgewise beyond the inner face of the cylinder for engaging the needlestuds for moving them up and down.

10. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder, a pivot-shaft journaled in suitable supports on said cam-cylinder, a switch-finger fixed to the inner end of said pivot-shaft, an arm hung loosely on said pivot-shaft outside said cam-cylinder, means iixed to said pivot-shaft and adapted to be engaged by said loose arm to oscillate said shaft, a slide-rod, and mechanism for moving said rod into position to be engaged by the end of said loosely-pivoted arm for oscillating said shaft.

1l. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a cam-cylinder, a pivot-shaft journaled in suitable supports on said cam-cylinder, a switch-linger fixed to the inner end of said pivot-shaft, an arm hung loosely on said pivot-shaft outside said cam-cylinder, means ixed to said pivot-shaft and adapted to be engaged by said loose arm to oscillate said shaft, a slide-rod, a pivoted lever engaging said slide-rod formoving it into position to be engaged by the end of said loosely-pivoted arm for oscillating said shaft, means for depressing said rod, and cams for lifting said lever.

JOSEPH A. BURLEIGI-I.

itneSSeS:

N. H. BAKER, D. IV. BAKER.

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